Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET 2013) HAWAII STATEWIDE HIGHWAYS SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN & ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDE Charlie Scott (206-624-5702, [email protected]) Senior Landscape Architect, Jones & Jones Architects + Landscape Architects + Planners, 105 S. Main Street, Suite 300, Seattle, Washington 98104, United States ABSTRACT Concurrent with ongoing initiatives to take a contextual or “Context Sensitive Solutions” (CSS) approach to highway design and construction, there is an increasing emphasis on engaging a broad set of issues related to environmental and social sustainability in developing and improving highways. The Hawaii Statewide Highways Sustainable Landscape Master Plan and associated Roadside Design Guide represent a concerted effort to make the state of Hawaii’s roadways and roadside landscapes more sustainable and contextual. The Master Plan and Design Guide are an expression of traditional Hawaiian values of Pono (resource protection and replenishment), Kuleana (shared responsibility), and Lokahi (human well-being). The documents are intended to make highways, and those who plan and design them, more respectful of the sensitive landscapes and local culture of the Islands. The Master Plan and Design Guide—which augments extant literature on “sustainable best practices” in the planning, construction, and maintenance of roads—fosters a systems-thinking and cultural landscape approach to every highway improvement project. The Master Plan and Design Guide address how roadways and roadsides affect the larger landscape, local ecosystems, and social setting. Basically, the documents promote sustainable elements and treatments that will integrate streets, roads and highways with their various settings while eliminating or lessening a roadway’s negative environmental effects. Recommendations and guidelines are provided for a broad suite of issues and considerations including water quality and resources, wildlife movement and habitat, vegetation, multi-modal travel, land use and access, aesthetics, tourism and recreation, maintenance, and local economic activity. Because each highway is in a different landscape setting with a different set of issues, the Master Plan relies on a watershed spatial framework to subdivide the Hawaiian Islands into distinct cultural landscapes for better comprehension of local contexts and natural ecosystems. This watershed framework meshes with the ancient Hawaiians’ system of using large watersheds (Moku) and smaller watersheds (Ahupua’a) for land management and political purposes. From this enhanced understanding of setting or context, the plan redefines highways throughout the entire state according to their setting. Thus a two-lane “rural arterial” is more accurately defined as a Sea-cliff Scenic Byway, Coastal Farmland Road, or Shoreline Residential Drive, with important distinctions as to highway improvements and roadside treatments for these different highway types. The Master Plan and Design Guide integrate landscape-level, sustainable considerations and guidance into the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (HDOT) project design and delivery process by applying sustainable recommendations to specific locations and conditions. Faced with limited resources, lengthy permitting requirements, and multiple steps in project delivery, HDOT simply cannot implement a full- blown CSS process for every project nor conduct the research on sustainable best practices for every design decision and situation. With performance metrics, the Hawaii Statewide Highways Sustainable Landscape Master Plan and Roadside Design Guide constitute a reliable source of sustainable and contextual solutions to the dozens of highway projects that HDOT and its consultants undertake every year. As such, the documents provide a practical framework for other DOT’s and highway planning professionals who are pursuing sustainable and contextual approaches for developing and improving highways.
20
Embed
HAWAII STATEWIDE HIGHWAYS SUSTAINABLE … · HAWAII STATEWIDE HIGHWAYS SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN & ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDE Charlie Scott (206-624-5702 ... Concurrent with ongoing
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET 2013)
HAWAII STATEWIDE HIGHWAYS SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN
& ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDE
Charlie Scott (206-624-5702, [email protected]) Senior Landscape Architect, Jones & Jones
Architects + Landscape Architects + Planners, 105 S. Main Street, Suite 300, Seattle, Washington 98104,
United States
ABSTRACT
Concurrent with ongoing initiatives to take a contextual or “Context Sensitive Solutions” (CSS) approach
to highway design and construction, there is an increasing emphasis on engaging a broad set of issues
related to environmental and social sustainability in developing and improving highways. The Hawaii
Statewide Highways Sustainable Landscape Master Plan and associated Roadside Design Guide represent
a concerted effort to make the state of Hawaii’s roadways and roadside landscapes more sustainable and
contextual. The Master Plan and Design Guide are an expression of traditional Hawaiian values of Pono
(resource protection and replenishment), Kuleana (shared responsibility), and Lokahi (human well-being).
The documents are intended to make highways, and those who plan and design them, more respectful of
the sensitive landscapes and local culture of the Islands.
The Master Plan and Design Guide—which augments extant literature on “sustainable best practices” in
the planning, construction, and maintenance of roads—fosters a systems-thinking and cultural landscape
approach to every highway improvement project. The Master Plan and Design Guide address how
roadways and roadsides affect the larger landscape, local ecosystems, and social setting. Basically, the
documents promote sustainable elements and treatments that will integrate streets, roads and highways
with their various settings while eliminating or lessening a roadway’s negative environmental effects.
Recommendations and guidelines are provided for a broad suite of issues and considerations including
water quality and resources, wildlife movement and habitat, vegetation, multi-modal travel, land use and
access, aesthetics, tourism and recreation, maintenance, and local economic activity.
Because each highway is in a different landscape setting with a different set of issues, the Master Plan
relies on a watershed spatial framework to subdivide the Hawaiian Islands into distinct cultural
landscapes for better comprehension of local contexts and natural ecosystems. This watershed framework
meshes with the ancient Hawaiians’ system of using large watersheds (Moku) and smaller watersheds
(Ahupua’a) for land management and political purposes. From this enhanced understanding of setting or
context, the plan redefines highways throughout the entire state according to their setting. Thus a two-lane
“rural arterial” is more accurately defined as a Sea-cliff Scenic Byway, Coastal Farmland Road, or
Shoreline Residential Drive, with important distinctions as to highway improvements and roadside
treatments for these different highway types.
The Master Plan and Design Guide integrate landscape-level, sustainable considerations and guidance
into the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s (HDOT) project design and delivery process by applying
sustainable recommendations to specific locations and conditions. Faced with limited resources, lengthy
permitting requirements, and multiple steps in project delivery, HDOT simply cannot implement a full-
blown CSS process for every project nor conduct the research on sustainable best practices for every
design decision and situation. With performance metrics, the Hawaii Statewide Highways Sustainable
Landscape Master Plan and Roadside Design Guide constitute a reliable source of sustainable and
contextual solutions to the dozens of highway projects that HDOT and its consultants undertake every
year. As such, the documents provide a practical framework for other DOT’s and highway planning
professionals who are pursuing sustainable and contextual approaches for developing and improving